Happy Holidays, 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the year’s events and share our updates with friends and family as we look forward to Christmas and a new year.

The early months of the year were consumed by repairs on Lotus’s aft deck. Late in last year’s sailing season, we discovered significant water damage. What we initially hoped would be a minor repair quickly turned into a much larger project. Being an older classic boat, finding someone to take on the repairs proved impossible, so we became classic boat repairers ourselves! We removed the teak deck, sub-deck, deck support structure, and some vertical plywood partitions as we traced the extent of the damage.

In April, we took a break for a spring trip to Tennessee to check in on Mom and Dad. On the way, we stopped at the beautiful Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington to watch the horses train, visited my college roommate in Salem, SC, and enjoyed hiking and waterfall sightseeing in Brevard, NC. During our time in Tennessee, we helped Mom and Dad with some house chores but still made time for a hike in the Smoky Mountains. On the way back, we stopped in French Lick, IN, and discovered a wonderful German café.

By May, we decided to slow the pace of the repairs on Lotus and keep her off the water this year. That decision turned out to be fortuitous, as Kathy later suffered a torn meniscus in her knee that would have made boarding from the dinghy nearly impossible.

In June, we sadly said goodbye to Dad’s sister, Aunt Micki. Family gathered at our home and traveled to Grand Blanc, MI, for her memorial. Despite the sad occasion, it was wonderful to have everyone together.

In July, we experienced another loss when Deanna’s father-in-law, Bob Brewer, passed away. Kathy and I spent a day with their family in West Branch to honor his memory. Without a boat in the water this summer, we had the opportunity to visit friends in Northport, MI, twice—once in July and again in late August. Their cottage on the bay provided a perfect escape from the usual busyness of life.

September brought us an adventure in Portugal with our dear friends, Jane and Paul, to celebrate our 40th anniversary. We spent two wonderful weeks exploring Porto, the Douro Valley, and Lisbon, immersing ourselves in the culture, history, seafood, and the country’s excellent wines and Ports. Kathy postponed her knee surgery until after the trip, which allowed us to fully enjoy the experience.

In October, Kathy underwent arthroscopic surgery for her torn meniscus. She’s recovering well, though not as quickly as she’d like!

November marked our third memorial of the year, this time for Lynelle’s mother-in-law, Ruth Moyar. We had a meaningful gathering with the Moyar family in the Downers Grove/Naperville area near Chicago.

This Christmas, we’ll be celebrating in Tennessee, reconnecting with much of the family once again. Kathy and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season filled with love, joy, and togetherness. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2025!

Warm regards,

Steve and Kathy